Spbiugs



E. F. PHELPS.

AUTOMATIC FEED WATER VALVE OPERATING DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED 0cT.21. 1918.

1 ,3 1 7, 940 Patented Oct. 7, 1919.

Zfflfiegw witnesse Inventor,

' vezwm' by I Attorneys n'mvma rnmvxnnv rHELrs, OFIJJAHO SPRINGS, .coLonAno. I

' AUTOMATIC rEED WATEavALvE orERArnve DEVICE."

Toalluikomz't may concern: 1 i

Be it known that I, ELMER F. PHELPS, a

. citizen of the United States, residing at Idaho Springs, in the county of Clear Creek and State of Colorado, have invented a new and .useful .AutOmatic Feed-WatenValve Operating Device, "of which the following is a I specification. I

The presentinvention appertains; to an apparatus applicable to boilers and operable for controlling the valve of the feed water pipe, whereby the lowering of'the actuated means water valve and float controlled means for view which will water level in the boiler results in the auto-. matic opening of the feed water valve to bring'the water up to the normal level in which event said valve is automatically closed, it being the object of the invention to provide a novel and improved apparatus of thatcharacter.

One of the objects ofthe invention is the provision of a feed water valve controlling mechanism which will not operate to open the valve until the water level has lowered a predetermined amount, in vvhlch event the valve is opened and W111 remam open for a suflieient length of time until the water level is brought up to normal in which event the mechanism is operable for quickly shutting off the flow of water into the boiler:

.Another obj ect of the invention is the provision of an apparatus ofthe nature .in-

dicated embodying steamer pressure. fluid for controlling the feed controlling the supply of steam or pressure fluid to said valve actuating means. J'It is also within the scope of the invention to provide an automatic feed Water valve 7 operating device which is comparacompact' and inexpensive in as well as being thoroughly tively simple, constructlon,

7 practical, reliable and efficient in use.

With the foregoing and other objects in appear as the description proceeds, the invention resides in the combination andarrangeinent of parts and in the details of construction hereinafter do.

' scribed and claimed,'itubeing understood a within the scopejof. what is claimed without v departing"from-theuspirit.of the invention.

that changes in the precise embodiment of the lnvention. herein disclosed can be made The inventionris illustrated in the accom panying'drawing, wherein the figure is a vertical, section." of the mechanism, portions beingiillustrated inelevation. Y

S peeification of Letters Patent.

Application filed October 21, 1918.

spectively. The

supplied-tothepassage 1.7,

PatentedIOct. '7, 1919.

Serial No. 259,157. 7

h In carrying out the invention, there is provided an upright cylindrical casing 1 forming a float chamber therein, and havingattachedto the upper and lowerends thereof, the heads or castings 2 and 3,1re-

4; for connection witlr the boiler adjacent or slightly above the normal water level so that steam flows through the passage 4 into the upper portion 1 of' the float chamber,

whilethe lower head 3 has a passage 5 to communicate with the boiler below the normal water level so that water flows through the passage. 5' into the lower portionof the float chamber. within the float chamber.

The water level will thus be the 1 same as that in the. boiler, the steam and wvater pressure within the "float chamber belng equalized. 1

Disposed withinthe float chamber isa or tapered to provide an. annular shoulder 7; The float 6 has acentral depending stem 8 provided at its lower end with a conical or needle valve 9, and the lower head 3 is provided with a bore 10 intersecting the passage-or channel 5 and. tapered .to provide a valve seat 11 for the valve. 9, whereby when the float 6 drops, thev valve 9 will stand across the passage 5 to close the same, thereby shutting off the flow of water through the passage 5 into the lower portion of the float chamber.

A drain cook 12 is attached to the head 3 upper head Qhas a passage suitable float "6, preferably of cylindrical' contour, and having its lower end reduced at the lower end ofthe bore 10, said cock being normally closed, and when opened enables the water and'sediment to be drained from the" float chamber cleaning. The float 6 is provided with a centrally arranged upwardly projecting'stem l3, preffor purpose of erably in alin'ement with the stem 8, and

working snugly within a vertical bore 14 with whichtheiupper head 2 isprovided,

said bore 14 intersecting the passageor channel 17 with which the head 2 is provided. The end of the bore His tapered, as at 16, to provide a valve seat for the-valve 15 of the a stem 13, said valve-15 being tapered to seat within the seat 16 across the passage or channel 17 for closing said passage.

One end of the passage 17 is connected in any suitable manner with the boiler above the normal water levelgso' that dry steam is i and the other end;

ing its ends engaged to the heads 2 and The tubular member 18 isdisposed in a vertr cal position and has its upper end communieating with the passage 17. A piston 19 is slidable snugly within the tubular member 18 and is provided witlra downwardly projecting stem 20 sliding snugly through the lower head 3. A coiled wire expansion spring 21 is disposed between the lower head 3and the piston 19 for normally raising said piston. The lower protruding end of the I stem 20 has an eye 22 which is adapted for connection with the ordinary gate valve which controls the feed water injector of the boilerto supply the water thereto, said piston 19 being normally raised to close the gate valve. When the piston 19 is depressed against the tension of the spring 21, the downward movement of the stem 20 is arranged to open the gate valve.

The upper head 2 is provided with a passage .or duct 23 extending from the passage 25 17 to the atmosphere, said passage 23 com- .municating with the passage 17 between the valve 15 and its seat and the cylinder 18, and the said passage 23 intersecting the bore 14:. The stem 13 is provided with an aperture 24 normally registering or alining with the passage 23, whereby the upper end of the tubular member 18 is in communication with the atmosphere, to allow the steam or pressure fluid to escape, so that the piston 19 can be elevated under the influence of the spring 21 for normally closing the feed water valve, the float .'6 being normally raised so that the valve 15 is seated to close the passage 17 A trip device employed for normally hold- 40 ing the float 6 raised even though the water level lowers slightly, said trip device being float controlled and releasing the main float 6 after the water level has lowered a predetermined amount. Said trip device embodies an angular or bell crank lever 25 having its elbow pivoted to the lower end of a hanger 26 attached to the upper head 2 at one side of the float 6, a roller 27 being pivoted to the free end of one arm of said lever and normally bearing against the shoulder 7 to. thereby support the float 6, said shoulder 7 seating upon the roller 27 so that the float 6 cannot drop until the lever 25 is swung to move the roller 27 out ofthe path of the float 6. The other arm of the lever 25 is pivoted to the upper end of an upwardly projecting central stem 28 of a trip or secondary float 29 disposed within the float chamber adjacent the bottom thereof. The float 29 has a downwardly projecting guide stem 30 working in a bore 31 drilled in the lower head 3, to guide the float 29 for vertical movement.

In operation, supposing the apparatus is 65. to be properly installed upon the boiler,

when the water level in the boiler is normal, the water in filling the float chamber will raise the float 6 to seat the valve 15 and unseat the valve 9, the valve stem 13 being brought to position so that'its apertureQa into the upper portion of the float chamber by way of the passage 1, and the water can flow into and out of the lower portion of the float chamber by way of the passage 5 which is now opened due to the elevation of the valve 9. Consequently, when the water level in the boiler lowers, the water level in the float chamber will .be lowered correspondingly, but even though the water level in the float chamber be lowered below the float 6, said float cannot drop, since it is held in raised position by the trip lever 25. Said trip lever will be held in active position as long as there is suflicient water within the float chamber to hold the auxiliary float 29 raised, but as soon as the water level lowers a predetermined amount, whereby the float 29 is lowered, the lever 25 will be swung away from the float 6, thereby allowing said float 6 to drop quickly. The roller 27 will now bear against one side of the float 6, and not until the float 6 is again elevated can the lever 25 swing to the position illustrated in the drawing for again holding the float 6 in raised position. The valve 9 in being seated due to the lowering; of the float-6 will close the passage 5, and the-upper valve 15 being unseated will open the passage 17 to allow the steam to flow into thetubular member 18 above the piston 19,'the passage or duct 23 being closed since the aperture 2 1 is moved downwardly out of registration therewithf This prevents the. escape of steam through the passage 23 from the pas sage 17 The steam will force the piston 19 downwardly, to openthe gate'valve, whereby the water will be forced into the boiler to compensate for the water lost 'by'evaporation or otherwlse. Theparts will remain in.

the position just'indicated, until the normal water level in the boileris restored, inwhich event the water will rush into the float chamber by way of the passage 1, so as to quickly fill the float chamber. The float 6 will therefore be raised quickly to; seat the valve 15 and unseat the valve 9, and as soon as the float 6 israised completely,the float 29 will be raised to swing the lever 25 to position for holding the float 6 in place. The.-

valve 15 being seated will shut ofl the sup 13o V The presentmechanism said heads,

ply of steam to theftubular 'member 18,- piston 19Iwill again be raised whereby the for closing the gate valve. 7

7 is comparatively simple and inexpensivacan be readily installedupon various boilers and operates in a comparatively simple and practical man: ner.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is 1. In a device of the character described, a float chamber having upper and lower heads provided with passages communicating with the upper andlower ends of the float ohamber,a cylinder engaged between said heads, the upper head having a pressure fluid passage communicating withthe upper end of'said cylinder, a piston work ing in said cylinder and having a stem extending through one head for operating a feed water controlling valve, a float within said chamber, and a valve operated by said float and controlling the last mentioned passage.

a float chamber having upper and lower heads, an upright cylinderengaged between a piston working in said cylinder and having a downwardly projecting stein working through the lower head, a coiled wire expansion spring between the lower head and piston, the upper head having a passage communicating with the up per end of; the cylinder, avalve controlling said passage, and afloat within the float chamber operating said valve;

3. In a device of the character described,

a float chamber having an upper head provided with a pressure fluid passage and a bore intersecting said passage andhaving a tapered valve seat, pressure fluid operated means communicating with said' passage for controlling a feed water controlling valve, said head having a duct extending from the atmosphere to said passage between said valve seat and means and'intersecting said bore, chamber having a stem working within said bore and provided with a tapered valve normally seated within said seat to close said passage, the valve stem having an aperture normally registering with said duct.

I. In a device of the character described, a float chamber having upper and lower heads provided with passages communicat-' boiler,

21111 a, device of the character described,

stem having and a float within said ing with the upper and lower ends of said chamber and adapted to communicate with a a cylinder engaged between said heads, a spring pressed piston within said cylinder 'for operating a feed water controlling valve, the upper head having a pressure fluid passage communicating with the upper end of said cylinder, a float with in said chamber havingan upwardly projecting stemv provided with a valve controlling the last mentioned passage, said float having a downwardly projecting stem provided with a valve controlling the passage of the lower head, and a float controlled trip within said chamber cooperable with said float for holding it rmtil the water level lowers a predetermined amount within said chamber.

1 5. In a device of the character described,

.a float chamber having upper and lower heads having passages communicating with the'upper and lower ends of said chamber and adaptedto communicate with a boiler, a cylinder between; said heads, a spring pressed piston within said cylinder for operating a feed water controlling valve, the upper head having a pressure fluid passage communicating with the upper end of said cylinder, the upper head having a bore in 'tersecting said pressure fluid passage, the

lower head having a bore intersecting its passage, a main float within said chamber having upwardly and. downwardly project ing stems working in the respective bores, the upper upwardly projecting stem having a valve for normally closing the pressure fluid passage, the downwardly projecting a valve for closing the passage of thelower head when said float is lowered, a trip lever pivoted within said chamber and engageable with said float for holding it raised, and a lower auxiliary float connected to said lever for releasing it when the auxiliary float is lowered and forswinging the lever into engagement with the first mentioned float when the auxiliary float is raised.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto afiixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

ELMER FRANKLIN PHELPS. Witnesses: L. D. ;WORDEN,

M. A. MGNULTY;

' Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, I). C. 

